Simply Authentic Japanese: Sushi Yoko

Let it be known that your editor is a Japanaphile.

I love everything about Japanese culture, from the kitschy little cell phone charms to the austerity of Zen culture. I spent long, quiet years perched in a little mountain town in rural Japan, after all. So you can imagine my delight when I found out that one of Atlanta’s most esteemed “underground” Japanese restaurants is right in Norcross, Sushi Yoko. 

The restaurant is in unlikely territory, along the access road on Hwy 141, in what I thought may have been a late-night emporium. But inside of the boxy, almost windowless building at 7142 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, there’s an inviting, friendly sushi shop with natural wood details that serves some of the freshest, most respectfully presented sushi I’ve had in years.

I use the word respectful for a reason. Often, I find sushi rolls muddled up with strange ingredients: pineapple, wasabi mayo, random fried things. I seem to always find overloaded, overdone sushi rolls—complete with fake-exotic names—that have too many fixings that overpower the flavor. 

The sushi chef at Sushi Yoko is truly a traditionalist, serving up perfect cuts of fatty tuna, sweet shrimp and plump, deep red tuna in all their glorious simplicity. He does like to sneak a large ball of wasabi under certain pieces, so be warned.

But lets not get ahead of ourselves. Before feasting at Sushi Yoko, pop into the Japanese shop on the premises to pick up a treat. There are packets of premade Japanese curry—made with a touch of honey and apples—and lots of packaged rice snacks and frozen goodies, like green tea ice cream flecked with sweet red beans. The reasonably priced flatware and tea sets would make a good go-to gift.

You can even find a giant bottle of Ozeki sake (which I equate as the Bud Light of the sake world, in a good way) for just over $18. 

If you get one of the set meals on the Sushi Yoko menu, from a classic rice bowl with breaded pork and a fried egg (Katsu Don) to a Tempura Combo, it’ll come with a salad with lovely ginger dressing and bowl of rich miso soup.

There’s a separate sushi menu that looks a little like a scorecard—you’ll have to request it—where you can check off as much sushi or sashimi as your heart desires. Or you can leave your experience in the chef’s hands, which was my choice at my recent visit.

The yellowtail was fresh and flavorful, with a light, buoyant texture; the spicy tuna rolls were a perfect counterpoint with their creeping zing; the mackerel was oversized and piquantly salty.

All without being overdessed or overfussed.